Category Archives: Vegetarian

If you have a few pantry items like ketchup, rice vinegar and brown sugar, you can make this delicious asian dish in no time. I got this recipe from my thai cooking class many years ago….(but I think it’s chinese…?!?) I like this dish with Tofu but my husband gets hungry again in half an hour after he eats tofu, so I made fish version here. (Used Tilapia. I buy from Costco and freeze them. It always comes in handy when I have a ‘Gosh I have no grocery to cook tonight.’ moment.) Ingredients 1 firm Tofu (or […]

In Korea, we have pumpkin soup called ‘Hobak Bumbuk’…. Each region has their own styles and this chunky, chewy and thick one is from my region, south-east part of Korea where I grew up. (I speak a strong dialect). Last night, I had a major craving for it. Of course, my food craving always hits me at night….sigh. Me being not so talented in Korean cooking, I called up my mom. With mom on the phone walking me through the process, I made a big pot of this nutrient-packed soup perfect for fall. I’m all set with my lunch and late […]

My friends, fellow dancer/teacher I love dearly, Aparna Khanolkar and Lisa Beck has this wonderful organization called Grace, Power and Beauty. Their offerings use the ancient Indian healing art of Ayurveda combined with music and dance, retreats, classes, workshops, delicious recipes and more. And this is my new favorite smoothie recipe from these lovely ladies. (Adapted from Aparna & Lisa’s Luscious summer tonic) Ingredients 1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries 1/4 cup fresh organic raspberries 1/2 cup coconut milk 1/4 cup coconut water (I found this wonderful coconut water with probiotic in it at wholefoods) 1~2 teaspoon cinnamon (Cinnamon is so good for you […]

I have been preparing for Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Parade (It’s a unique Santa Barbara celebration, similar to a few others such as Mardi- Gras in New Orleans ) in my dance + drum group, Panzumo for last 8 weeks. Had an amazing and successful show this past weekend. During that 8 weeks, I have been trying to eat healthier, worked out regularly and of course danced a lot. (I did splurge on flank steak, fish and chips and shepherd pie….and oh I cannot give up on dessert…80% healthy food 20% splurge! Right? ) And this was one of my favorites […]

I met my friend, Alisa in my first year of culinary program. She was studying to be a dietitian and needed to take basic culinary classes. When I walked into the classroom (kitchen, in this case) I spotted her and I put down my knife kit right next to her. I was one of the older students…and I really didn’t feel like working next to the kids who just graduated from high schools..(no offence just because I may not understand their current lingo…) She had already finished her B.A and had a husband …Yes— she is going to make me […]

My older sister just had a baby, so being the good sister that I am , I drove 5.5 hours to her house to help her out. Well..now I have a new respect for all the mothers out there….man, taking care of a new born baby is not a joke. Babies cry a LOT! My sister barely has a moment to take a shower, clean or cook. I thought I had a hard time house-training my puppies. You literally have to give them non-stop 24 hours attention and of course, she has to feed him every 2 hours…my poor sister…full […]

Do you love your neighborhood ‘Trader Joe’s’? I do, I do! How did people survive before TJ? I can’t imagine….And I love their oh so lovely and kind cashiers… who always ask ‘How is your day going?’, ‘What did you do today?’ ‘What’s your plan for the rest of your day?’…etc, etc….but I have to admit that I sometimes have one of those days that I wish I was at ‘self check out’ and just get the heck out of the store. I don’t want to chat with you, it takes me more than 30 seconds to get my head […]

I’m back!!!! Yes, I am still alive and well. We just went through some kitchen cabinet work so our kitchen was all torn apart. At some point, I did not even have an access to the refrigerator….but it’s all done and it feels good to be back. Hope some of you missed me. With the kitchen all torn apart, the only food I could make was simple and fast dishes like potato-leek pancakes. We were invited to a dinner party a few weeks ago and I made these on a tiny corner of the kitchen counter while our worker Santos measured […]

Spring forward everyone! Now there is still light outside at 6pm…Yay~ we made it through the winter! Although it’s been unusually cold here for the last few days, I decided to head out to farmer’s market. I picked up some fava beans and gorgeous looking Maitake mushrooms. I wanted to cook something ‘farmer’s market- healthy’ but I didn’t want one of those cold quiona salad…yucky….something warm and comforting…something green and earthy. Ditch those winter veggies and let’s put a little spring on your plate. Today, I felt like putting on a super bright fuchsia lipstick (It’s IN, right?) and my husband freaked […]

Besides wine, Sake is my favorite drink (adult beverage, I meant). So when SakeOne (One of very few American sake makers. I think there are only 4…) contacted me, I was thrilled. They were going to send me a box of their premuim sake. Heck yeah! I will trade in food for sake anytime!!! My gosh, I was pleasantly surprised by it’s taste. So pure and clean! (If you see the term “Ginjo” anywhere on the label, it means ‘Premium’ where at least the outer 40% of the rice gets milled away – protein/fat is removed for it’s best aromatic flavor. […]

Saag Paneer is my absolute favorite dish. My typical order in an Indian restaurant: Keema Naan (lamb stuffed naan), Saag Paneer and Chai tea. I can tell how good an indian restaurant is by it’s Saag Paneer as I can tell a good thai restaurant by it’s green curry. Weird, huh? haha! That’s just me. India is one of the places I would like to go. Sometimes I find myself glued to a bollywood dance movie and just admire how pretty they are, how fabulous their makeups and costumes are. Someday, I will go find my Saag Paneer guru in India. But […]

Are we carnivore or vegetarian by nature?…. ‘Drink soy milk, no, soy is bad for you. So is Tofu. Yogurt and peanuts are evil’…>.<….I read so many books on this and still haven’t got the answer. It’s like a religion – you question and debate all day long but no one knows the truth….So what the heck, I’m going to eat whatever that taste good to me. I have a group of friends, one of them is a vegan, one of them is a vegetarian, one of them only eats chicken, and their boyfriends and husbands are meat eaters. So […]

Gosh I am so happy that a new yoga studio opened up in Santa Barbara. It desperately needed a good yoga class. I have been looking for a good one since I moved here. (My ‘good’ means you barely crawl out of the class…) Power of your Om - it’s heated power yoga, but not Bikram hot (and stinky). My body is still shaking from the morning class- exactly what I was looking for. (no meditating/chanting yoga for me please ^*^ ) And having a zero body fat pretty instructor doesn’t hurt either. It does motivates you, you know. I eat healthy 70~80% […]

Ok, his is the best kale chips ever. Trust me. Even my anti-kale husband loved it. Give me a bowl of this, couch, Keeping up with Kardashian and buggie on my lap, my ‘woman cave’ night is completed! Here is how I make it. Ingredients 1 bunch of kale (I prefer curly kind for this) 1 Tablespoon Olive oil 1 teaspoon Salt 2 Tablespoon Sugar 1 teaspoon Paprika Preparation 1. Rinse and thoroughly dry kale, remove thick stems. It will shrink as they bake so I usually cut them just in half. 2. Place kale in a bowl, drizzle olive oil over […]